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Chapter 26Hopping out of the car, May felt elated to have not only appeased the concerns of her family, but also her friends. She'd managed to find the time to contact them both before Steven had whisked her back to Petalburg City, not once asking about the events which had transpired between herself and Brawly.
She turned to face the door before grinning, 'thanks Steven!'
'No, it's I who should thank you. What you did for myself, Lisia and Wallace just shows how compassionate you are. You didn't just help me to ensure all was well with the Contest preparations, but you also helped Lisia to have a new friend. You truly go above and beyond for us all, and for that I thank you,' the man smiled at her, his steel blue eyes intent upon her sapphire ones.
'Oh, that's no trouble. Lisia's g reat, she just needs to adjust to the idea that she's befriended someone,' May smiled back with more confidence than she felt and walking through her front door.
Shutting the door behind her, May turned to grin sheepishly at her childhood friend, whose scowl spoke volumes.
'I'm sorry,' May said simply, sending the man a grovelling glance.
'Not good enough! Your friends are entertaining your challenger, I hope you're happy!' The man scoffed back, though he seemed somewhat appeased.
'They are? Oh no!' May cried before rushing past him and into the house, not seeing his amused smirk at her antics.
Seeing Misty pout tea for a woman with magenta hair pulled into pignite-tails, May felt her breath hitch in her throat.
Rushing into the room, she called out, 'everyone, I'm so sorry! I completely neglected my duties to you all!'
The stranger turned to reveal her deep blue eyes, grinning, 'that's quite all right, you were away for business out of town. Besides it gave me the opportunity to catch up with—May?'
'S-Sakura?' May yelped, her eyes widening in disbelief at her childhood friend from Ecruteak City.
'Wow, it's been so long!' Sakura grinned as Misty's eyes glanced at her other friends in surprise as they re-entered.
'You two know each other?' Misty blinked as Iris walked in with a plate of berries, followed by Dawn and Serena, carrying poffins.
'What? No way!' Dawn gasped as Serena blinked.
'Y-yeah, back when I lived in Johto we used to be good friends,' May said, turning her sapphire eyes onto the floor. She'd done her best to leave a lot behind in Johto. Memories from her life there always brought back her anxieties, and she hadn't been ready to deal with it all back then. She'd never had many friends in Hoenn, and she'd missed her close-knit circle back in her former region, even if she felt she couldn't talk to them anymore. Besides, it brought back the trauma of being surrounded by a horde of Tentacool, and that was something she never liked discussing with anyone, especially after Harley's big exposé.
'What happened?' Iris questioned, her maroon eyes filled with concern for the duo.
Feeling her lip tremble as tears filled her eyes, May didn't respond, waiting for Sakura to admit the problem—her.
'Distance is what happened. May was so far away, and she'd gone through so much that I didn't think she wanted to remember me. May, do you forgive me for my silence?' Sakura whispered, her voice filled with guilt.
Struggling to blink back tears, May didn't even care that they were sliding down her cheek. Instead, she forced her sapphire gaze onto her friend's deep blue, unable to think of what to say.
'I was so busy practicing for my tea ceremony that I forgot how alone you must have felt, especially with what happened in Olivine. I'm sorry, May,' Sakura said as May sniffed.
'It's not your fault, Saku, it never was,' May whispered before tackling the woman in a tight hug.
'You've always been far too forgiving,' Sakura chastised slightly, though the sparkle in her eye showed her gratitude.
Giggling in response, May grinned, 'you know it! Did you ever catch up with Jimmy, Marina or Lyra, or Vincent? You know how they always wanted to get their pokémon before us.'
'Oh they left a few years before me. I'm still not as strong as them, but I heard that Marina is an idol now—you know how obsessed she was with that!—but she's moved on to Coordinating too,' Sakura grinned, knowing that May would be proud of their friend's success.
Hearing this, May grimaced, aware of her own failures in the area. With a sigh, she grimaced, 'poor Lyra, she must be feeling terrible living in her sister's shadow.'
'I'm sure she's making her own name for herself,' Sakura grinned with false cheer as May's friends grimaced at each other.
'Maybe, but you know she always had a soft spot for Vince,' May sighed, feeling her friend's pain all too well.
'I don't know, last I heard, she had a crush on some guy called Silver. He's a real bad boy, stole a pokémon from Professor Elm and everything,' Sakura gossiped, though she let out a soft sigh, her expression becoming dreamy.
'Who'd steal a pokémon? How dare they!' Iris hissed as Misty's face flushed in clear anger.
'Girls, relax. I'm sure he's not that bad if he's talking to Lyra. Besides, I'm certain Sakura would love a bad boy of her own,' May teased with a wink, causing the woman to scowl, 'no way! I'm happy being single!'
'And ready to mingle?' May winked at her friend, who slapped her arm out of childhood habit.
'Speaking from experience?' Dawn questioned as she flipped her Xtransceiver around to reveal images of May with Brawly.
'Ugh, no, Brawly and I are just friends!' May glowered back, her elation disappearing in a flash.
'It doesn't look like you're just friends from here,' Serena mused, though May didn't appreciate it.
'It doesn't look like a lot of things to everyone! I'm not with Brawly!' May huffed with a stomp, causing the other girls to giggle.
'What's so funny?' She all but seethed as they continued to giggle.
'You're adorable!' Dawn grinned as Iris wiped her eyes, 'she did the foot stomp!'
'Argh, I can't believe any of you!' May hissed at them, causing them to giggle harder.
'May, are you the gym leader here?' Sakura questioned as Misty ate a Lychee berry, grimacing at its after taste.
'That'd be me,' the woman in question grimaced with clear reluctance.
'Then I want to battle you for your badge!' Sakura grinned, her eyes alight with joy.
'You're on,' May chuckled back, knowing which pokémon she'd be using.
With a small smile, she led her friends to the gym, grinning as she saw Kenny cleaning the ground from her last battle.
'Beautifly, take the stage!' May cried out as she twirled on the spot before releasing the first pokémon she'd ever caught by hand.
'Wow your Beautifly looks amazing!' Sakura gushed at May, who flushed at her friend's admiration for her pokémon.
'Thanks, Sakura! I've been training with her and formulated the best pokéblock I can, so it means a lot to me that you think she's looking good,' May beamed at her friend as Kenny sighed in exasperation, 'women.'
'Bug types!' Misty hissed, gripping onto her chair in clear anxiety. Beside her, Iris glowered at the man, 'what's that meant to mean?'
Hearing her angry question, Kenny sent her an impartial shrug, not at all bothering to appear apologetic.
'Compare her to my Beautifly!' Sakura grinned before releasing another butterfly pokémon on the battle arena.
'Wow, your Beautifly is gorgeous!' May beamed back, admiring her opponent's healthy pokémon.
'Thanks May, though her wings aren't as shiny as your Beautifly's. Shall we start?' Sakura grinned at her childhood friend.
'You don't need to tell me twice! Beautifly, psychic!' May called out to her pokémon, grinning as her opponent was surrounded by an eerie pink glow.